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Stuff to do: May 2008
• by Byron Kerman - Bobby Flay photo by Michael Piazza
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Classes and Demos
Bella Bella Italian Cooking Demonstrations
Friday and Saturday evenings – 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., on the hour, Harrah’s Eat Up! Buffet Experience · 314.770.8100 www.harrahs.com
The dishes created at each weekend’s Italian cooking demo at Harrah’s Bella Bella Italian station (within the casino buffet) are not overly fancy, explained Harrah’s executive chef Ray Leung. “They’re market-friendly,” he said, meaning he wants guests to feel comfortable shopping for and preparing them later at home. In fact, each demo concludes when he hands out samples of the shrimp carbonara, pasta puttanesca or mushroom ravioli, for instance, followed by take-home recipe cards. With 150 recipes on a rotating schedule, though, he has to get a little funky. Leung enthused about a vegetarian dish like zucchini pasta with roasted tomatoes and a light marinara, and an experiment he called “Ciao Mein,” an Italian-Chinese pasta with Asian vegetables and meats, and “a really, really light cream sauce with a little five-spice in it.”
Candy Sushi
May 4 – 1 p.m., Kitchen Conservatory · 314.862.2665 www.kitchenconservatory.com
Sure gingerbread houses are great fun, but they’re not exactly bite-sized. If you want to actually eat one of those things, you’ve got to smash in the roof Godzilla-style. Kids don’t just want to ogle candy, they want to stuff it in their sticky faces. That’s where Pete Knobbe of Kirkwood’s Wm. D. Alandale Brewing Co. and his 9-year-old son Liam come in. These able sucrose-lovers are prepared to instruct children and their parents in the ways of an exotic new culinary subcult: candy sushi. Using Twinkies, marshmallows, Swedish fish, Rice Krispie treats, jelly beans, sprinkles, Fruit by the Foot, Jell-O shapes, licorice and more, students in this class will construct sushi rolls, surimi rolls, California rolls and sashimi to eat and take home. And the children who eat it all will … never … sleep … again.
Fairs and Festivals
Cinco de Mayo on Cherokee Street
May 3 – 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Cherokee Street between Oregon and Iowa avenues · www.cincodemayostl.com
For the most authentic Cinco de Mayo celebration in town, head to the Mexican neighborhood along Cherokee Street in South City. A daylong street fair includes live music by eight-piece Mexican Mariachi band Tamborazo Mixteco, Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra members, Javier Mendoza and funk/disco juggernaut Boogie Chyld. And the fun, authentic festival foods will include chalupas, gorditas, burritos, nachos, chimichangas, fajitas, enchiladas, tortas, quesadillas, tacos and, of course, margaritas.
St. Louis Brewers Heritage Festival
May 8 to 10, Forest Park next to the Missouri History Museum 888.792.2424
www.stlbrewfest.com
The St. Louis Brewfest is not a place for Beer Pong. It is not an opportunity to play Quarters or Beer Hunter or Please-Hide-My-Unconscious-Body-When-The-Cops-Raid-The-Joint. Oh, no. This is where beer aficionados sniff the bouquet of 60 or more quality brews before swishing and then, mayhaps, if it be worthy, allowing the solution to descend the gullet. This is where thousands of revelers mingle under tents comparing the buttery hues and lingering aftertastes of six dozen of the region’s toniest ales, lagers and specialty brews. Don’t forget the upscale grub courtesy of Harvest, SqWires, Vin de Set, LoRusso’s Cuccina and Companion Baking; the brewing education seminars; the live music; and the official, very limited-edition fest brew, St. Louis Dark Lager. For the bon vivants, Thursday night’s Ultimate Beer Dinner is a five-course gourmet meal paired with local brews, attended by area brewmasters and hosted by chef Dave Lieberman of the Food Network’s Good Deal With Dave Lieberman. The fest benefits Lift for Life Academy, where at-risk kids channel their angst into weightlifting.
Art of the Vine
May 9 – 6 p.m., Laumeier Sculpture Park · 314.821.1209 www.laumeier.org
Is it wrong to suggest that a Pink Floyd laser show at the Planetarium goes down better with certain ... enhancements? Well then, let’s just say that, for the sake of argument, performance art goes down better with wine. Over at the annual Laumeier Art Fair, noted local performance artist Tom Brady will test that theory when he emotes before a wine garden full of revelers. Art patrons may lubricate with a liquid buffet of vintages from regional wineries including Stone Hill, Crown Valley, Peaceful Bend, Les Bourgeois and Meramec Vineyards (for only 12 bucks). In addition to Brady’s bodily twists and oratory, guests can enjoy urban dance-music duo Mo & Dawn. Step into the Art Fair proper, open through Sun., May 11, for works by 150 artists, live jazz and hands-on art activities for kids.
Special Events
Mother’s Day Tea with Catwalk Bridal Fashions
May 10 – noon, The Barn at Lucerne · 636.227.7300 www.ladiesoflucerne.com
Where does the Catwalk Fashion Entertainment Group dig up all those vintage clothes? Whether a WW II fashion show with young adults in well-preserved army uniforms and Betty Grable-style swimsuits or a bridal show with gowns that somehow haven’t fallen apart after 70 years, CFE manages to find the duds – and the people to fit them. Its signature Century of Bridal Fashions show is the eye candy at a proper Mother’s Day tea at Ballwin’s Ladies of Lucerne Tea Room. Dolled-up gals in vintage bridal gowns and wedding-party dresses and accessories, plus period hairdos and makeup, will relive those thrilling troths of yesteryear. The tea includes a three-tiered tray of finger sandwiches, savory tarts, freshly baked scones, Devonshire cream, preserves, lemon curd, miniature pastries and a pot of Premium Harney & Sons tea. The Ladies of Lucerne also offer tea seminars and etiquette classes for adults and children.
Rib America
May 23 to 26, Soldiers’ Memorial Plaza · 314.241.1888 www.ribamerica.com
What is the best music by which to eat ribs? Well, ZZ Top works. La Grange sounds perfect, in fact. “Oh no,” some of you are saying, “ribs are best enjoyed with the piquant bluegrass of a Ralph Stanley or a Hayseed Dixie, even.” “Poppycock!” another group chimes in. “Ribs are a dish best served with blues or funk.” OK. I’ll not begrudge you. You’ll have to experiment with the wide variety of national acts performing at this year’s Rib America downtown. Renowned vendors will sell their ’cue, including Illinois’ Big Boned BBQ, Coyote Roadhouse and Chicago BBQ; Kentucky’s Texas Outlaws BBQ; Tennessee’s Willingham’s World Champion BBQ and Joey’s Texas Thunder BBQ; and Arkansas’ Porky Chicks BBQ. Such barbecue-friendly musical acts as the Georgia Satellites, the Atlanta Rhythm Section and .38 Special will provide mood music. The extensive line-up also features KC & the Sunshine Band, Blind Melon, Jonny Lang, Night Ranger, Head East, Dennis DeYoung from Styx and others. Bring a lawn chair. And by the way, the best ribs are cooked slowly. I recommend eating them to the groove of a classic slow cooker like Steely Dan’s Pretzel Logic.
Mount Pleasant Winery Bottle Bash
May 31 – 7 to 9 p.m., Mount Pleasant Winery 800.467.9463 · www.mountpleasant.com
The patio overlooking the Missouri River valley at Mount Pleasant Winery offers a lovely view. You can go outside, take a deep breath of fresh, country air and have a sip of wine or two. Look! Is that a deer? Maybe the deer would like some wine. C’mere, Bambi. Have shum of thishhsh, it’sh delishuss. Hey! Where you goin’, Bambi? Oh boy. Maybe you’ve had too much wine, feller. Maybe it’s time to return to the winery’s capacious tasting room and rejoin the Bottle Bash, a party for the new Mount Pleasant young professionals club, Club MPW. Partygoers will enjoy live music, appetizers and a souvenir glass for unlimited tastings. It’sh beeyootiful.
Great Grafton Pub Crawl Open
May 31 – 4 to 9 p.m., Grafton, Ill. · 618.786.7678
What heresy, to suggest that golf and alcohol mix well! Also insulting: alcohol with bowling, alcohol with darts and alcohol with speed-dating. Or not, even. A new hybrid event shows promise. The Barstool Open of Grafton will offer a different mini-golf challenge at each of 10 bars. For a more-than-reasonable 10 bucks, you get a T-shirt, shuttle transportation (is it a golf cart?), and food and drink specials. The Grafton pubs on the course include Keller's Too, Grafton's Landing, Piasa Pub, The Rotten Apple, the Ruebel Hotel, the American Legion, The Wild Goose, Aerie's Winery, The Loading Dock and Dos Rios. Scorecard may be purchased at any of those joints, and there are prizes for the lowest scores, too. One can only hope the crowd at each bar is suitably silent and respectful as each mini-golfer putts for glory.
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Bobby Flay
Chef, author and television personality
By Catherine Neville
Just in time for grilling season, Bobby Flay, the eminently recognizable Food Network star, restaurateur and cookbook author, is on tour to support his newest book, Bobby Flay’s Grill It!, which hit bookstores on April 29. This is Flay’s first fully illustrated book and it offers over 150 recipes along with grilling tips and techniques. Flay will be in town for two book signings this month, so gather up all of his books and get yourself to the Central West End or Plaza Frontenac on May 8. Flay conceded that “book tours are draining, but,” he said, “it’s the best way to meet people who are interested in what you do. There’s no substitute for it.”
Charcoal or gas?
Both. Everybody looks at it differently. There are people who are purists who will not use anything but charcoal or hard wood. But I utilize my grills based on time. If I have time, it’s always fun to use charcoal – it’s the truest form of grilling. But there’s always, like, I want to put on a couple of burgers in a pinch. Turn a few knobs, press a few buttons, and you have some heat.
Everybody knows to throw a steak or a burger on the grill, but what are some foods that you think people overlook that are great when grilled?
Fish and vegetables are becoming much more popular on the grill. People are becoming more confident about doing those. What I always tell people is that if you want to cook fish on the grill, if you’re not adept at it, use a fish that won’t tend to break apart, like tuna or swordfish, because they’re steak-like, as opposed to something like snapper or grouper that’s more flaky. I love grilling those fish, but sometimes they’re difficult.
And your new book has recipes for grilling fruit as well.
Oh, absolutely. The new book, Grill It!, is the most user-friendly book … first of all, it’s the best-looking grilling book I’ve done, for sure. This is my fourth grilling book and it’s really beautiful – it’s four-color art and everything. The table of contents makes it really user-friendly. Each chapter [covers] one ingredient. If you go to the store or the farmers’ market, and you want to grill something, you buy the things that look the best, you buy tomatoes, maybe some fish or some scallops … chicken … it doesn’t really matter. When you get it home, you can open the book and each ingredient will have 10 to 12 different recipes to it.
So what are some common mistakes that people make when they’re grilling?
Flipping things way too many times. Not cleaning their grill well enough. Not putting the heat on high enough. When you use a charcoal grill, you have to make a hot part of the grill and a cooler part of the grill. Same thing when you’re using gas grills. You need a hot part of the grill and a part of the grill that you can move things to to let them either rest or cook slowly.
Do you develop the recipes for your books yourself? Do you have a team?
I develop them. I’m constantly creating menus and recipes because my restaurant menus change at least four times a year. I’m surrounded by food all the time. It’s all I do.
Bobby Flay’s Grill It! book signing
May 8 – 2 to 4 p.m. at Sur La Table · 314.993.0566 · www.surlatable.com, and 7 p.m. at Left Bank Books · 314.367.6731 · www.left-bank.com
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